1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to surgical instruments and more particularly to a guide tool for directing a surgical device into attachment with a bone segment.
2. Description of Related Art
Orthopedic surgical procedures often require that sharp pointed devices such as corkscrews, drills, nails, saws and other instruments be screwed or driven into a patient's skeletal structure. Hemiarthroplasty and total hip replacement operations are typical surgeries which involve driving a surgical device into a bone segment. As will be described in more detail below, there is a need during such procedures for a tool which not only offers the surgeon a means by which to guide the pointed device into engagement with the selected bone segment but also provides a means by which to protect his or her fingers during the process.
The following United States Patents represent a selective sample taken from a large number of prior art patents disclosing tools that are used as guides for pointed surgical devices during orthopedic procedures.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,621,630, which issued on Nov. 11, 1986 to Robert V. Kenna, discloses a guide used to saw cut the femoral neck at an angle of 45 degrees to the long shaft axis of the femur during a hip replacement procedure. This patent solves the problem of guiding the saw but does not address the problems associated with protecting the surgeon's fingers while stabilizing a movable femoral neck during the process of threading a corkscrew into it as part of the procedure for removing the femoral head from the acetabular socket after the saw cut has been made.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,911,153 which issued on Mar. 27, 1990 to Robert Border, discloses an orthopedic instrument which is secured to an intramedullary nail and which serves as an adjustable guide for drills, reamers, fasteners and other orthopedic devices. The disclosed instrument is not applicable to surgeries such as either a hemiarthroplasty procedure or a total hip replacement operation. During these procedures, there is a need for a tool to be used as a guide for a corkscrew employed to remove the femoral head from the acetabulum.
As can be seen from the foregoing, there exists a definite need for a tool that enables the surgeon to stabilize a movable bone segment during any surgical procedure which requires the attachment of a surgical device to a bone segment. Also, a guide tool is required which protects the surgeon's fingers while the device is being driven into the bone segment. In addition, a tool is needed which comprises a minimum number of components, that is easy for the surgeon to use and which provides an efficient method by which to obtain optimum attachment of the surgical device with the bone segment. Further, a tool is required which will accommodate various fracture angles that occur as a result of the accidental breaking of bones and which are encountered during certain surgical procedures performed to reduce these fractures.